Mobile market share: Android extends lead in wake of iPhone 5 launch

Google continues to remain on top in the race for dominance in the American smartphone market, commanding a majority of users, according to the latest report from comScore. Apple’s fortunes also are on the rise, driven in part by the release of the iPhone 5, which was introduced in late September.

And Microsoft?

It’s still lagging, showing just 3.2 percent market share. The decline probably is connected to users holding off on buying Windows Phone 7 devices in anticipation of Windows Phone 8. That mobile operating system was launched in late October.

According to comScore, 121.3 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones — 51.9 percent mobile market penetration — during the three months ending in October. That was up 6 percent since July.

John Cook is GeekWire's co-founder and editor, a veteran reporter and the longest-serving journalist on the Pacific Northwest tech startup beat. Follow him @johnhcook and email john@geekwire.com.